“I’ve Never Told
You Before”
[2016]
I’ve never told you before.
“You should serve him well and not disappoint him.”
“No matter what happens, you have to listen to him.”
“Do not speak to him as if you consider him as an equal.”
“If you are stubborn and talk back to your husband, you are the woman who destroys the repute of the family.”
“Forgive him in the name of a woman.”
Excerpts from Chbab Srey, Cambodian book, “How to be a good woman”
Women in the Southeast Asia who suffer domestic violence often keep silent, straining to conform to rules set by society.
I met several Khmer women survivors. We shared our never-before-told stories and journeyed together through grief, and found strength.
2016, Siem Reap, Cambodia
